Beaufort Man Sentenced to 20 Years for Apartment Lot Shooting

Bernard “Berney” Garvin Jr. will spend the next two decades in prison for shooting a woman in the head during a 2023 dispute at an apartment complex. A judge handed the 35-year-old man a sentence of 20 years in state custody and five years of probation this week.

The incident occurred in June 2023 at the Hilton Head Gardens apartment complex in Beaufort County. Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to reports of a shooting and found a pool of blood, spent shell casings, and bullet damage on a parked minivan. The female victim, who was driving a friend’s vehicle, had been grazed in the head.

According to authorities, the victim dropped off a female friend who intended to ride home with a male companion. As their vehicles entered the parking lot, occupants witnessed Garvin and another woman fighting over a liquor bottle. Several other people were present at an all-day party. The victim exited her car and asked Garvin why he was beating the other woman, leading to a verbal exchange.

While the man in the companion vehicle attempted to move the female victim into his car to leave, Garvin pulled a gun and fired. Jeff Kidd, a spokesman for the 14th Circuit Solicitor’s Office, stated that Garvin discharged at least four shots. The victim was transported to a hospital and later transferred to another facility, where medical staff placed her in intensive care to monitor for potential brain bleeding.

Multiple witnesses identified Garvin as the shooter. He was arrested three months after the incident in Georgia. Law enforcement officials noted that Garvin has a criminal history dating to 2011, which includes convictions for assault and battery, pointing and presenting a firearm, driving under suspension, and parole violations.

Garvin was found guilty of attempted murder and possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime. The sentencing concluded a legal process that began with the 2023 shooting and subsequent arrest.